George Johnson will remain in rotational role with Bucs

by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(5/19/15) Buccaneers defensive end George Johnson appeared in a career-high 16 games in 2014 for the Lions, but he made no starts. He mostly was a rotational pass rusher last year, but the job seemed to suit him well, as he totaled a career-best six sacks.

"No question we would like to have a good rotation across the line, so when we get to the fourth quarter our best guys are on the field in those key situations," Frazier said, per the team's official website. "We don’t want to put George in a situation where he has to play 80 percent of the downs nor do we want even Gerald [McCoy] to play 80-90 percent of the downs. We would like to have enough depth where when we do take guys off the field to get a blow, we don’t have a big drop off.

"Hopefully this year we will have the depth to do that. That includes George. I think he had [about] 600 snaps a season ago, so he may end up right around that range, again, a little bit more. That will probably depend on how well the other guys are playing around him as well."

Lions trade DE George Johnson to Buccaneers for draft pick

by Sean d'Oliveira | CBSSports.com

(4/15/15) Rather than match the offer the sheet for defensive lineman George Johnson, the Lions agreed to trade Johnson to the Buccaneers on Wednesday, the Lions announced.

Along with Johnson, the Lions also sent the seventh-round pick the team received in the Haloti Ngata trade from Baltimore. The Lions will receive a fifth-round pick from the Buccaneers in this year's draft.

In 2014, Johnson produced six sacks and 29 tackles over 16 games.

Lions disputing Buccaneers' offer to DE George Johnson

by Elliott Smith | Staff Writer

(4/13/15) The offer sheet the Buccaneers gave to defensive end George Johnson is being disputed by the Lions, and a decision by an independent arbiter is potentially 10 days away, per MLive.com.

Johnson signed a three-year, $9 million deal with the Bucs last week, giving the Lions until 4 p.m. Monday to match the offer. The reason for the Lions' protest is not known at this time.

The five-year veteran racked up six sacks last season for the Lions.

Buccaneers add two players, wait on DE Johnson

by Elliott Smith | Staff Writer

(4/9/15) The Buccaneers signed two players Thursday in free-agent LB Larry Dean, formerly of the Vikings, and center Ben Gottschalk, as they wait to see if the Lions will match the three-year, $9 million offer sheet to restricted free-agent defensive lineman George Johnson, per the team's website.

Dean has mosly played on special teams during his five-year career, while Gottschalk was in Chiefs training camp last season. The Lions have until Monday to match the offer on Johnson, who emerged last year to record 26 tackles and six sacks.